Insulated rail joint



June'8, 1937. E. A. coNDrr INSULATED RAIL JOINT Filed Feb. 1l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8, 1937. E. A. CONDIT INSULATED RAIL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. ll, 1936 A 3mm EUConcZ,

f www Patented June s, 1937 ree lNsULATED RAIL JoIN'r` Edward A. Condit,eMontclair,`N`. J., assignonby mesne assignments, to Poor & Company,v a cory poration of Delaware Y Application February 11, 1.936, serial 63,420

1 Claim. (Cl. 23S-459) This inventionrelates to insulated rail joints, and has particular reference to a novel, armored base insulating-means for rail joints, and also to a novel combination of said base insulating ,f meanswithan' armored lhead insulating means.

In practically .all rail joints there occurs relativelongitudinal .movement between the splice barsandthe rails, and if the joint should become loose there also occurs relative lateral movement betweenthe splice bars and the rails which is Quite: pronounced at the base of the joint. Therefore, if a sheet of insulation is interposed lfietweengaA splice'bar and a rail with its outer and inner `facesin direct contact with the splice 11-25 barand the rail, respectively, it is subjected to anjintense abrasive' action by eitherthe splice y bar-.or the` rail, or by both, and as a consequence it possesses only; short life. In this connection y thegeneral'practice heretofore has been to in- #20 terposerthegbase pieceofiinsulation between the splice bar and the rail' in direct contact with both the splicerbar and the rail, even in constructions whereprovision is made` to reduce 'the abrasion and wear on thehead piece of insulation. Frequent,; expensive renewals of the base insulation` have',V therefore, been required.

i Accordingly, one important object of the pres- Y `ent invention is tov provide a base insulating means Afor rail joints wherein the base insulafgo tionyis protected against abrasion, thereby to increase the life of the insulation and correspondinglygto reduce't-he frequency of renewals thereof. Another object yof the invention is to -provide a base insulating means for rail joints wherein thel :insulating material is protected against the Ldeterioratingeffects of the elements.

Another ,object of the invention is to provide a base insulating means for rail joints wherein the insulating material is protected against abra- .,0 sion and from the elements,A and wherein provisionisginade'tpermit all necessary adjustments of the joint to maintain the same tight.

Another object of theV invention is to provide, in an insulated rail joint, a novel combination 45 of head and base insulating means and joint fastening' means, whereby the head and base pieces of insulation are completely shielded and protected from the elements.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, 50 which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination of features as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the `accompanying drawings and 55 defined in the appended claim.

In the accornpanyingv drawings:

Figure 1 asidelelevation of aninsulated rail joint constructed in accordance with the invention. l i i f Figure 2is a crosswsection through the joint shown Vin Figure ll; `and g Figures 3 VAanda areviews similar .to Figure 2 illustrating `inodiiications of the invention.

`Referringto the drawings in detail, first with particular reference to the practical embodiment ofl the inventionil'lustrated Ein Figures l and 2, R, R designate the meeting end portions cfa pairA of rails and B designates a splice bar, preferablybut `not neczessarilyof the toeless type, which, in conjunction lwith joint bolts IIJ and an elongated washer plate Il, serves .to connect said rail ends together. e v,

Atlthe top ofthe joint isa. head piece of insulation,--designatedJas-I-g, which vextends across the top for? the splice bananddownwardly over the upperportion oietheinner face .thereof preferablyI to ,thejqint bolts II), ywhereY it is notched, as indicatedatjto,accommodate said bolts, whereby'it held by the-latter against longitudinal movement relative to the splice bar.

Covering the -piece of insulation I2 and interposed between the latterand the rail is a metal- ;lic shield IA includingan inner portion which is substantially Ycoextensive with the inner portion of the insulation and which also is notched to accommodate the joint bolts whereby said shield; is'held against longitudinal movement relative to the underlying insulation.

At thebottom of the joint is a base piece of insulation of substantially U-shape in cross section, designated as I5, which extends across the bottom of the lsplice'Y bar and upwardly over the lower portions of the inner andthe outer faces thereofas indicated at I5 and Il, respectively. As shown, theouter portion Il of this piece of insulation-entends,upwardly to the joint bolts I0 where-itis provided with suitable openings or recesses I8 to receive said joint bolts whereby, as in the case of the head piece of insulation I2, it is held against longitudinal movement relative to the splice bar.

Covering the base piece of insulation I5 and interposed between the latter and the rail is a metallic shield I9 which also is of substantially U-shape in cross section and which has its outer portion extending upwardly to the joint bolts and provided with suitable openings or recesses 2| accommodating said bolts, whereby said shield is held against longitudinal movement relative to the base piece of insulation.

l ments relative to the splice bar;

fore, that any abrasion and wear occurs between f possess long life.

2 f Y Y l When the joint bolts are tightened the head and base pieces of insulation and also the metallic shields covering said pieces of insulation, are clamped against the splice *bary and are held effectively against any lateral or longitudinal moVe- It follows,there the rail and the metallic shields in Contact therewith and that the insulation pieces are practically relieved of all abrasion and wear, whereby they side portion of the lower shield being'disposed in covering relationship to the outer rsi'de` portion Il of the base piece of insulation, and to the remaining portions of said basev piece'of insula-l tion being covered by the splice bar, it is apparent that the vbase insulation is completelyL protected` against the deteriorating effectso'fjthe elements* At'the baseof the joint provision isl madefor inward adjustmentof the splice bar B to compensate for wear; In,V this connection the upwardly extending portion` I6` of the bas'epieceY of insulation maybe normallyAV spaced from the innerrface of thesplice bar, as shownin Figurer`2, or said portion I6 of the base pieceof insulation may be constantly-in contact with the inner face of thevsplice bar and the upwardly` extending inner side portion of thebase shield I9 maybe normally spaced from the rail,` as "shown in Figure. i Between the ends ofthe vrails -is-interposed, as yusual, an insulating end post 2|'. Inv this connection, the head and base pieces I2 and l5 of insulation maybe continuous throughout 'the length ofthe joint and only the' shields-' Ill-'and Y li9 need be formed in two sections withthe'resprective sections of each shieldt disposed to` op,-

p'osite sides of the end post2l",jor the head and base pieces of insulation may also be formed each 'in two sectionsV asv in the case of the shields therefor, Preferably the latter construction is employed togenable either-end portionY of either the head or the base insulation to be renewed in- A' dependently of the other end portionthereof.V

lFigures of the drawings illustrates a particularly desirable embodiment ofFtheinvention aovcording to which the washer plate or v/barfll cooperates with outer portions of theY upperand lower shields to completely ,cover and protect the( head and base pieces of insulation against the elements. lThe head piece of insulation is extended downwardly kover the upper portionof the outerface of rthe splice bar, as indicated at 22, and the shield for said head piece vof' insulation" likewise is extended downwardly incovering relationship to said insulation portion ',22, as in- ',dicated at 23. Preferably both of thefportions 22 andr 23 extend to the joint bolts ,I0 andare notched to accommodate'saidbolts, whereby *both vthevinsulation yand the shield arev held against `movement' relative tothe splicebar. In

Moreover, due to the outery Y ent structures within-its spirit and any event, said portions 22 and 23 extend downwardly sufliciently far so that the washer plate Il overlies their lower marginal portions. Similarly, the base piece of insulation is extended upwardly over the lower portion of the outer face of thesplice bar, as indicated at Il, andthe outer portion of the shieldfor said base ypiece of insulation is extended upwardly in covering Vrelationship to said insulation portion l'la Vas indicated at 20e. Moreover, as in the case'of the outer portions of the head insulation and shield,

(the portions Vla .and 20e of the -base insulation and shield, respectively, preferably extend-wupwardly tothe joint ybolts li] and are notched to accommodate said bolts, whereby said base insulation and shield are held against movement relative to the splice bar. In any event, said portions lla, 2li@ extend Vupwardly suiciently far so that the washer plate Il overlies their upper marginal portions. Thus, obviously, said plate fcooperates with the portions v23 and 2lia ofthe upper and the lower shield elements to` completely cover 'and protect the'head and base pieces ofinsulation. Y

, In the construction illustrated in Figure 4 the basepiece of insulation and the shield therefor may have their inner,l upwardly extendingportions hugging the kinner facey ofthe splice bar and spacedv from. the rail, as shown, or the arrangementy may be as illustrated in Figure 2 wherein said portions are spaced from the splice bar. A Y

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the new construction will be readily understood. f It is desired to thegt'o'pY of the splicel barl and vdownwardly over the upper portion of the, outer face thereoffa base piece of insulation and a covering metallic shield-both extending across the bottom of the` splice bar and upwardly over the lower portion of the outer face thereof, the rtop edges of said base piece of insulation and its overlying metallic shield being disposed below the bottom edges of the head' piece of insulation and its overlying metallic shield, and a bar secured by the joint l fastener elements against the lower and the upper marginal portions of the outer side portions of said shields, respectively, and covering the space between said marginal portions.

` EDWARD A. CONDIT. 

